Abstract:

This research paper analyzes the impact of the implementation of Moodle educational platform and the new technological tools offered by Web 2.0, in the process of teaching and learning on students in higher education, specifically, on students from the major of Information Systems Engineering, at the Computer Science Faculty of Mazatlan, of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa. Research design is quasi-experimental in two groups (experimental and control); both groups followed the subject of Fundamentals of Programming simultaneously. During the course, the experimental group used Moodle platform as well as the tools of Web 2.0 (forums, blogs, wikis, videos, podcasts, social networks, etc.), with an approach on blended-learning, in other words, a learning process which includes face-to-face activities as well as e-learning; the control group, on the other hand, only received face-to-face instruction.

The results indicate that the experimental group reached a grade average (achievement) slightly superior (7.22) to that of the control group (6.81). A T-Student test carried out in order to determine the variance between averages, in this case for independent samples, reveals that there are no significant statistical variances between the averages of both groups. However, it is observed that the experimental group shows higher homogeneity, in other words, there is not too much dispersion, particularly towards the lower grades, as it does occur in the control group.

This study has allowed to demonstrate that the teaching and learning process with a blended approach, which combines the development of academic activities delivered face-to-face, with the implementation of Moodle platform and the development of distance learning activities delivered through the use of the new tools of Web 2.0, made it possible for the students to learn new methods of communication and interaction, to acquire new self-learning techniques, to develop abilities to express with clarity and assertiveness. It generated in the students a more significant, participative and collaborative learning.

Keywords:

Educational Platform, Moodle, Blended-Learning, Web 2.0, Higher Education.